On 3 and 4 March, the EU and Seychelles met at the level of the competent Joint Committee to review the implementation of the first year of application of the new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and to discuss mechanisms to strengthen their cooperation in support of sustainable fisheries (see EUROPE 12600/14).
The EU-Seychelles SFPA is the most important tuna agreement in place for the EU both in financial terms and in terms of fishing opportunities.
The new SFPA and its Protocol apply as of 24 February 2020.
During the meeting of the Joint Committee under the framework of this bilateral agreement, the parties examined the state of implementation of the actions planned for the first year of the programme, ranging from the construction of infrastructure for local fishermen to training activities, and their impact on boosting the local fisheries sector.
The availability of funds for a Covid-19 Response Program to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 crisis in the Seychelles was recognised as essential.
The Parties also discussed the appropriate level of utilisation of fishing opportunities and the modalities to reinforce the monitoring mechanism on fishing activities (development of the Electronic Reporting System). Other subjects discussed: the presence of scientists and observers and the embarkation of Seychelles seamen on board fishing vessels. Link to the press release: http://bit.ly/3ektpmw (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)